Medjugorje Day By Day June 09 - ABANDON YOUR CONCERNS TO JESUS
Mother Teresa
Love has no meaning if it isn't shared. Love has to be put into action. You have to love without expectation, to do something for love itself, not for what you may receive. If you expect something in return, then it isn't love, because true love is loving without conditions and expectations.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
Let us love Jesus for His divine greatness, for His power in Heaven and on earth, for His infinite merits, but also and above all out of gratitude. Had He not been so good to us but more severe, how much less we would have sinned!. But when sin is followed with profound sorrow, with an honest resolution of never sinning again, an intense understanding of the great pain we have given to the mercy of God; when having rent the hardest fibers of our hearts we manage to shed scalding tears of repentance and love then, my son, the sin itself becomes a steppingstone which brings us closer, which raises us up, which leads us to Him more securely (GF,171)
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Into everyone's life the Son shines, enlightening us as to the mysteries of life
"G. K. Chesterton once said that God has put a tremendous mystery in nature itself and that is the sun. In the light of that one thing, which we cannot see because of its brightness, everything else is made clear. Likewise, thought we cannot comprehend the nature of God completely in this life, nevertheless, in the light of the truths which He revealed, everything else is made clear, such as the mystery of pain, suffering, death, life and birth."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
The Lord gave me knowledge of the graces which He has been constantly lavishing on me. This light pierced me through and through, and I came to understand the inconceivable favors that God has been bestowing on me. I stayed in my cell for a long act of thanksgiving, lying face down on the ground and shedding tears of gratitude. I could not rise from the ground because, whenever I tried to do so, God's light gave me new knowledge of His grace. It was only at the third attempt that I was able to get up. As His child, I felt that everything the heavenly Father possessed was equally mine. He himself lifted me from the ground up to His Heart. I felt that everything that existed was exclusively mine, but I had no desire for it all, because God alone is enough for me. (1279)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
JUNE 9 - ABANDON YOUR CONCERNS TO JESUS
Today the Blessed Mother asks us to abandon our worries to her Son:
Why do you not put your trust in me? I know that you have been praying for a long time, but truly, surrender yourself. Abandon your concerns to Jesus. Listen to what he says in the gospel: "And who among you, through his anxiety, is able to add a single cubit to the length of his life?" (Locutionists Jelena & Mirijana November 30, 1983).
In Psalm 37, trust is seen as the remedy to anxiety:
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
So you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
Take delight in the Lord,
And he will give you the desires of your heart. Our steps are made firm by the Lord, And he will give you the desires of your heart. Our steps are made firm by the Lord, When he delights in our way, Through we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, For the Lord holds us by the hand.
---Psalm 37:3-4, 23-24
Reflection:
The confident trust that the psalmist and Our Lady speak of today is a sister virtue to acceptance. For some, such as members of Alcoholics Anonymous the spirit of acceptance can be a life and death matter, for it is indispensable tool in their recovery.
In chapter 17 of Alcoholics Anonymous' Big Book, a physician in the program writes:
At last, acceptance proved to be the key to my drinking problem to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it's because I find some person, place, thing, or situation---some fact of my life---unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing, or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.
Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy.
I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.
With hard-won insight, the doctor speaks of his peace
, or serenity, as inversely proportional to his expectations. The higher his expectations of other people are, the lower his serenity. "I can watch my serenity level rise," he says, "when I discard my expectations."
Application:
First, as Our Lady asks, abandon your anxieties and fear to her today, trusting in her great power. Second, as they do in AA meetings around the world, offer the Serenity Prayer. Keep it in mind for troubling times.
O Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference
Medjugorje Day By Day June 08 - TESTIFY THROUGH YOUR LIVES
"Visit the Blessed Sacrament often; there is your true life" (St. Paul of the Cross).
Mother Teresa
When you know how much God is in love with you the you can only live your life radiating that love.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
Valiantly fight temptations with strong souls, and fight along with the Supreme Chief. When you fall, do not stay there prostrated in body and spirit. Humble yourself greatly but without being discouraged. Lower yourself without degrading yourself. Wash your imperfections and falls with sincere tears of contrition, without lacking trust in divine goodness, which will always be greater than your ingratitude. Propose to make amends without being presumptuous, but your strength must be in God alone. Finally, confess sincerely that if God were not your beast-plate and shield, you would be imprudently pierced with every kind of sin (Letters III, p. 702).
When you know how much God is in love with you the you can only live your life radiating that love.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen -
A closer look can reveal wonders
"Mystery is like a telescope of the eye. The instrument does not destroy vision, but opens new worlds hitherto unrevealed. A proud person might ask why he or she should believe that there is anything else in the world to see or know, except that which one's natural powers can compass. Pride then precludes the knowledge of other worlds."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
God of great mercy, who deigned to send us Your only-begotten Son as the greatest proof of Your fathomless love and mercy, You do not reject sinners; but in Your boundless mercy You have opened for them also Your treasures, treasures from which they can draw abundantly, not only justification, but also all the sanctity that a soul can attain. Father of great mercy, I desire that all hearts turn with confidence to Your infinite mercy. No one will be justified before You if he is not accompanied by Your unfathomable mercy. When You reveal the mystery of Your mercy to us, there will not be enough of eternity to properly thank You for it. (1122)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
JUNE 8 - TESTIFY THROUGH YOUR LIVES
The Gospa speaks of living the messages of Medjugorje:
Dear children, today I invite you to live in humility all the messages which I have given you. Do not become arrogant in living the messages and boast that, "I am living the messages." If you live and bear my messages with your heart, everyone will sense it so that words, which serve only those who do not obey, will not be necessary. For you dear children, it is necessary to testify through your lives (Weekly Messages September 20, 1985).
Paul also expresses concern about those who merely speak of faith, but do not live it:
But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power (1 Cor 4:19-20).
Reflection:
We have all met people who have talked a lot about faith, but that was all it was-talk. They may know all the right words to say, but their lives are not examples of Christian living. Today Paul says that the kingdom of God is to be lived, not just discussed. There is a big difference between knowing the right words and living them out.
This is the message of Our Lady as wee: "It is necessary to live and testify by your lives."
Application:
Today, pray simply for the grace to "live in humility all the messages which I have given you."
Medjugorje Day By Day June 07 - LOVE EACH OTHER
St. Mary Magdalen di Pazzi, Carmelite Nun, Incorrupt (1566-1607)—Feast, May 25
A mystic, St. Mary Magdalen, wrote: "O Sisters, if we would only comprehend the fact that while the Eucharistic Species remain within us, Jesus is there and working in us inseparably with the Father and the Holy Spirit and therefore the whole Holy Trinity is there."
Mother Teresa
Yesterday is gone and tomorrow has not yet come; we must live each day as if it were our last so that when God calls us we are ready, and prepared, to die with a clean heart.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
Do not be surprised at your weakness, but acknowledge what you are, and blush at your infidelity towards God, then confide in Him and abandon yourselves tranquilly in the arms of the Heavenly Father, like a child in the arms of its mother (AP).
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
It's no Mystery that Mystery, such as the Mystery of the Holy Trinity, transcends all reason
"Almost all of us are willing to learn, either from the book of nature, or from the lips of others. But some of us are unwilling to accept mysteries or the revelation of God, or wisdom which transcends both the power of nature and the learning of others. Mystery, however, does not mean an idea which is opposed to reason, but one which transcends it."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
I made an hour of adoration in thanksgiving for the graces which had been granted me and for my illness. Illness also is a great grace. I have been ill for four months, but I do not recall having wasted so much as a minute of it. All has been for God and souls; I want to be faithful to Him everywhere.
During this adoration, I realized the utter care and goodness that Jesus has been lavishing upon me and the protection He has given me against all evil. I thank You especially, Jesus, for visiting me in my solitude, and I thank You also for inspiring my superiors to send me for this treatment. Give them, Jesus, the omnipotence of Your blessing and compensate them for all the losses incurred because of me. (1062)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
JUNE 7 - LOVE EACH OTHER
The Madonna speaks of loving one another:
Dear children, thank you for every prayer. Try to pray continuously, and do not forget that I love you and that I desire all of you to love each other. (Locutionists Jelena & Mirijana May 26, 1984).
One of the fruits of love is reconciliation. In his letter to Philemon, Paul acts as a reconciler between this wealthy Christian and his runaway slave, Onesimus
For this reason, thought I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love-and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment.
So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account (Phlm 1:8-10,17-18).
Reflection:
According to Fr. Slavko Barbaric, reconciliation is a fundamental process that God intends every soul to experience. It is a means of freeing oneself from inner ties and chains, of tearing down the walls and barriers that we have erected through sin and hate.
"Reconciliation means simply accepting oneself and others as we are," he says, "and starting where we are now to tear down the walls that separate us from God and one another."
He continues, "Reconciliation also means to let go of hasty judgments of one another and to accept that we are all weak and limited in many ways." It means to deeply experience our common origin from God, that we are truly one in him.
Application:
This week, made an overture to someone your have resented or disliked in the past. Ask Our Lady to be with you during this encounter.
Medjugorje Day By Day June 06 - THE DEVIL TRIES TO IMPOSE HIS POWER
St. Philip Neri, Priest, Patron of Rome, Oratory Founder (1515-1595)—Feast, May 26 Said: "With true and living faith I believe that in this adorable Sacrament Thou Thyself, true God and true Man, art present, Who being the sole-begotten Son of God didst yet, from Thy great love for man, take to Thyself human flesh
in the most pure womb of Mary ever virgin."
Mother Teresa
Anyone is capable of going to Heaven. Heaven is our home. Dying is not the end, it is just the beginning. Death is a continuation of life. This is the meaning of eternal life; it is where our soul goes to God, to be in the presence of God, to see God, to speak to God, to continue loving Him with greater love. We only surrender our body in death - our heart and our soul live forever
Meditations by Padre Pio -
What else can I say to you? May the grace and peace of the Holy Spirit always be the centre of your heart. Place your heart in the open side of your Saviour and unite it with the King of our hearts who is within it as on a royal throne, in order that He might receive homage and obedience from all other heart. Keep its door open so that everybody can approach Him and gain an audience at all times. And when your heart speaks to Him, don't forget, my dearest daughter, to speak in favour of mine again, so that His divine and cordial Majesty might render it good, obedient, faithful and less wretched than it is (Letters III p. 431).
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Someone's title does not necessarily assure right judgment
"The human mind has two faculties: one speculative, which is directed to knowledge; the other the will, which carries that knowledge into action, and which chooses and decides. An evil life does not spoil the speculative intellect. An atomic scientist who is immoral does not directly impair his atomic knowledge. But when it comes to judgment, to directing and guiding, then the evil life exercises its influence. Any person who consults a psychiatrist should first make an analysis of the kind of life he lives, because though his scientific equipment may be good, when it comes to giving counsel, the doctor may be incapable. Our Blessed Lord warned that behavior affects attitudes toward Him. 'You will not come to Me because your lives are evil.'"
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
O Uncreated Beauty, whoever comes to know You once cannot love anything else. I can feel the bottomless abyss of my soul, and nothing will fill it but God himself. I feel that I am drowned in Him like a single grain of sand in a bottomless ocean... .(343)
You have surrounded my life with Your tender and loving care, more than I can comprehend, for I will understand Your goodness in its entirety only when the veil is lifted. I desire that my whole life be but one act of thanksgiving to You, O God.... (1285)
Having awakened several times during the night, I thanked God briefly, but with all my heart, for all the graces He has given to me and to our Congregation, [and] I reflected on His great goodness. (1291)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
JUNE 6 - THE DEVIL TRIES TO IMPOSE HIS POWER
In the first months of the apparitions, Our Lady spoke of Satan:
The Devil tries to impose his power on you, but you must remain strong and persevere in your faith. You must pray and fast. I will always be close to you (First Years November 1981).
And in John's gospel, Jesus also speaks of the Evil One:
You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies (Jn 8:44).
Reflection:
Satan normally tries to work in a covert manner, but at times he can be clearly recognized because of the intensity of the evil. Our Lady says that he has been especially active during this century; his presence dominated the war years and such abhorrent places as concentration camps. Here he reigned supreme amid the slave labor and gas chambers.
In my visit to Dachau in 1992, I could still discern his shadow, like so many others, in the crematoriums, the watchtowers, the mass graves. During the war the Dachau prisoners were hired out and full use was made of them in the armaments industry, always under strong guard. In the office of the Dachau commandant, the Allies found an incredible document that estimated the profit that could be made from each worker. It read as follows:
Average daily amount for loan of prisoner 6.00 Marks
Deduction for food - .60
Deduction for use of clothes - .10
5.30 Marks
Average duration of life: 9 months,
270 days X 5.30 Marks = 1,431 Marks
Proceeds from rational disposal of corpse:
1. Gold teeth. 2. Clothes. 3. Valuables 202 Marks
Deduction for the costs of cremation - 2.00
Average net profit 200
Total profit after 9 months 1,631 Marks
Plus proceeds from the utilization of bones and ashes
I would have liked to think that such evil and violence was part of history now. But on the drive back to Medjugorje, we passed through the Croatian city of Zoar, where the buildings were riddled with machinegun and mortar fire from the federal army.
Our Lady's emphasis on the reality of Satan is not meant to frighten us, but to protect us. Our armor is the gospel and her messages.
Application:
Today, pray especially for the innocent victims of evil and for the grace to recognize Satan and his works.
Medjugorje Day By Day June 05 - BE RECONCILED
Mother Teresa
It is important to gain self-knowledge as part of spiritual growth - to know yourself and believe in yourself means you can know and believe in God. Knowledge of yourself produces humility, and knowledge of God produces love.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
Let us remember that the Heart of Jesus has called us not only for our own sanctification, but also for that of other souls. He wants to be helped in the salvation of souls.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Keeping the slate clean
"The cleanliness of the slate of man is dependent upon the way he lives, ie. his moral life. It is too often assumed that ignorance is due solely to a want of learning. This is not true. Not every D.D. is a saint. An evil life prevents the accumulation of wisdom."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
I thank God for this illness and these physical discomforts, because I have time to converse with the Lord Jesus. It is my delight to spend long hours at the feet of the hidden God, and the hours pass like minutes as I lose track of time. I feel that a fire is burning within me, and I understand no other life but that of sacrifice, which flows from pure love. (784)
Oh, how drab and full of misunderstandings is this life! My patience is exercised, and after it comes experience. I understand and learn many things each day and see that I know very little, and I am constantly discovering faults in my conduct. Still, I am not discouraged by this, but thank God that He deigns to grant me His light that I may know myself. (900)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
JUNE 5 - BE RECONCILED
The Virgin today speaks of reconciliation and unity:
Pray, because I need more prayers. Be reconciled, for I desire reconciliation among you and a greater love for each other, like brothers. It is my wish that prayer, peace, and love blossom within you. (Locutionnist Jelena & Mirijana February 2, 1984).
St. Paul calls for unity and reconciliation within the church at Corinth:
I have applied all this to Apollos and myself for your benefit, brothers and sisters, so that you may learn through us the meaning of the saying "Nothing beyond what is written," so that non of you will be puffed up in favor of one against another. For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift (1 Cor 4:7).
Reflection:
Both Paul and Our Lady call us to unity and a non-judgmental attitude toward others. We may be tempted to judge a fellow Christian, evaluating whether he or she is a worthy follower of Christ. But only God knows a person's heart, as Paul stresses today, and he is the only on who has the right to judge.
The Corinthians, to whom Paul was writing, had split into various factions, each following its own spiritual leader. Each clique believed it was the only one that had the whole truth, and was proud of it. Paul chided them for their arrogance and emphasized that they were all humble servants of the Lore, simple messengers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
His exhortation was like that of Our Lady's today:
"Be reconciled, because I desire reconciliation among you, and more love for each other, like brothers."
Application:
Sometimes friction or rivalries cans develop among various parish groups, organizations, or individuals. Today, make a commitment to the Lord to be a peacemaker within your home parish. Pray that all will be united in the service and love of Christ.
Medjugorje Day By Day June 04 - I CALL YOU TO HUMILITY
The Greatest Destroyer of Love and Peace is abortion
Mother Teresa
"I will not rest until I find the whole world devoted to the Blessed
Sacrament!" (Bl. Didacus Joseph of Cadiz).
Mother Teresa
There is only one God and He is God to all: therefore it is important that everyone is seen as equal before God. I've always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic.
My television is the Tabernacle. (Mother Teresa)
Padre Pio -
I never cease to implore blessings for you from Jesus, and to beg the Lord to transform you totally in Him. Oh my daughter! How beautiful is His face, how sweet His eyes and what a good thing it is to stay close to Him on the mount of His Glory! We must place all our desires and affections there… Contrary to our every merit, we are on the steps of Tabor, by having a firm determination to love and serve His divine goodness well (Letters III, pp. 409-410).
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Starting out with a clean slate
"Every human being at his birth has everything to learn. His mind is a kind of blank slate on which truths can be written. How much he will learn will depend on two things: how clean he keeps his slate and the wisdom of the teachers who write it."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
Thank You, O God, for the grace of a vocation
For being called to serve You alone,
Leading me to make You my sole love,
An unequal honor for my soul.
Thank You, O Lord, for perpetual vows,
For that union of pure love,
For having deigned to unite Your pure heart with mine
And uniting my heart to Yours in the purest of bonds.
Thank You, O Lord, for the Sacrament of Anointing
Which, in my final moments, will give me strength;
My help in battle, my guide to salvation,
Fortifying my soul till we rejoice forever.
Thank You, O God, for all the inspirations
That Your goodness lavishes upon me,
For the interior lights given my soul,
Which the heart senses, but words cannot express.
Thank You, O Holy Trinity, for the vastness of the graces
Which You have lavished on me unceasingly through life.
My gratitude will intensify as the eternal dawn rises,
When, for the first time, I sing to Your glory. (1286b)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
JUNE 4 - I CALL YOU TO HUMILITY
The Blessed Mother calls us to humility today:
Dear children, today I call you to humility. These days you have felt great joy because of all the people who have come here, and to whom you have spoken with love about your experiences. With humility and an open heart, continue to speak with all who are coming (Weekly Message JUNE 27, 1985).
Jesus also speaks of humility, of becoming children in the hands of God:
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heave?" He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 18:1-4).
Reflection:
Christ points to the characteristics of a child to help his self-centered disciples get the message. We are not to be childish (like the disciples, arguing over petty issues), but rather childlike, with humble and sincere hearts.
The disciples had become so preoccupied with the organization of Jesus' earthly kingdom, they had lost sight of its divine purpose. Instead of seeking a place of service, they sought positions of advantage. How easy it is to lose our eternal perspective and to seek to fulfill our own ambitions. How hard it is to identify with little children, humble and dependent people with little status or influence.
Application:
Thoreau once wrote, "Humility like darkness reveals the heavenly lights." Today as Our Lady asks, pray for this virtue which deepens our trust and peace.
Medjugorje Day By Day June 03 - READ THE BIBLE
"Ah! If we had faith! If we were penetrated by the thought that at this moment Our Lord is on the altar! We would be motionless, we would forget that we have bodies
. . . . We have so much to ask for the Church, for sinners, for the Society, for our families, for the children entrusted to us, for ourselves" (St. Madeleine Sophie Barat).
Mother Teresa
We are all capable of good and evil. We are not born bad: everybody has something good inside. Some hide it, some neglect it, but it is there. God created us to love and to be loved, so it is our test from God to choose one path or another.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
Jesus you already come into my soul. With what food must I feed You? With love! But my love is false, Jesus I love You very much, make up for my love (AD,36).
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
The sign of character is in the little things
"Faithfulness in great things is not uncommon; faithfulness in little things is rare but most indicative of true character."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
Thank You, O God, for all the graces
Which unceasingly You lavish upon me,
Graces which enlighten me with the brilliance of the sun,
For by them You show me the sure way.
Thank You, O Lord, for creating me,
For calling me into being from nothingness,
For imprinting Your divinity on my soul,
The work of sheer merciful love.
Thank You, O God, for Holy Baptism
Which engrafted me into Your family,
A gift great beyond all thought or expression
Which transforms my soul.
Thank You, O Lord, for Holy Confession,
For that inexhaustible spring of great mercy,
For that inconceivable fountain of graces
In which sin-tainted souls become purified.
Thank You, O Jesus, for Holy Communion
In which You give us Yourself.
I feel Your Heart beating within my breast
As You cause Your divine life to unfold within me.
Thank You, O Holy Spirit, for the Sacrament of Confirmation,
Which dubs me Your knight
And gives strength to my soul at each moment,
Protecting me from evil. (1286a)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
JUNE 3 - READ THE BIBLE
Today the Blessed Mother speaks of sacred scripture:
Dear children, today I ask you to read the Bible in your homes every day. Put it in a visible place where it will always remind you to read it and pray it (Weekly Message October 18, 1984).
St. Paul also speaks of the value of scripture:
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work (2Tm 3:16-17).
Reflection:
A record price of two million dollars was paid recently for a copy of the Latin gospels, dated 997. The book, originally printed in Germany, is 9 x 6½ inches long and consists of 168 parchments pages illustrated with colorful scenes from scripture.
Those who place such value on works of art could gain far richer treasure if they were to become as motivated to study the scriptures as were the monks who adorned them so beautifully. The original artists devoted painstaking effort to the long and arduous task of copying the gospels by hand and embellishing the margins. They were sparked by the ardent desire to glorify God and to remind their fellow men and women of the lasting beauty of his inspired word.
Application:
Today let us simply take Our Lady's advice to, "read the Bible every day in your homes, and let it be in a visible place so as to always encourage you to read it and pray."
Medjugorje Day By Day May 18 - READ SACRED SCRIPTURES
"The faith of the Church is this: That one and identical is the Word of God and the Son of Mary Who suffered on the Cross, Who is present in the Eucharist, and Who rules in Heaven" (Pope Pius XII).
Mother Teresa
If we worry too much about ourselves, we won't have time for others.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
Mary's holy soul, like a dove set free, left her saintly body and flew to the bosom of her Beloved.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
The magnetic pull of good!
"The psychological effect is entirely different when those who truly love God do wrong. The difference between them and others is like to that between a waif who steals and a devoted son who steals. The first does not feel the rupture of a relationship; the second does. The latter has hurt one whom he really loves. Furthermore, the waif does not feel the urge to restore the broken buds of love, but the ordinary good boy does. There is a mysterious magnet operating in the case of the good. As the steel filings fly to the attraction of the magnet, leaving the dirt behind, so the good are pulled back again to God, but only after having shaken the dust of evil from their lives."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
In that same moment, the soul drowns entirely in Him and experiences a happiness as great as that of the chosen ones in heaven. Although the chosen ones in heaven see God face to face and are completely and absolutely happy, still their knowledge of God is not the same. God has given me to understand this. This deeper knowledge begins here on earth, depending on the grace [given], but to a great extent it also depends on our faithfulness to that grace.
However, the soul receiving this unprecedented grace of union with God cannot say that it sees God face to face, because even here there is a very thin veil of faith, but so very thin that the soul can say that it sees God and talks with Him. It is "divinized." God allows the soul to know how much He loves it, and the soul sees that better and holier souls than itself have not received this grace. Therefore, it is filled with holy amazement, which maintains it in deep humility, and it steeps itself in its own nothingness and holy astonishment; and the more it humbles itself, the more closely God unites himself with it and descends to it.
The soul, at this moment is, as it were, hidden; its senses are inactive; in one moment, it knows God and drowns in Him. It knows the whole depth of the Unfathomable One, and the deeper this knowledge, the more ardently the soul desires Him. (771)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
May 18 - READ SACRED SCRIPTURES
Today the Blessed Mother urges that we read the Bible:
Dear children, on this great day which you have given me, I wish to bless all of you and say: these days that I am with you are days of grace.
I want to teach you and help you walk in the way of holiness. There are many people who do not want to understand my messages nor to seriously accept what I am saying. Therefore I call you to witness to my presence here through your lives---through your day-to-day living.
If you pray, God will help you discern the true reason for my coming. And so, little children, pray and read the sacred scriptures so that through the graces that have accompanied my coming, you can discern the messages in sacred scripture for you.
St. Paul also emphasizes the importance and power of scripture:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. In it the righteousness of God is revealed. (Rom 1:16-17).
Reflection:
Mark Twain once wrote that, "Most people are bothered by those passages in scripture which they cannot understand; but as for me, I always noticed that the passages in scripture which they cannot understand; but as for me, I always noticed that the passages in scripture which trouble me most are those that I do understand."
The scriptures are indeed challenging, being much more than poetry and parables; they provide a whole new way of living based on our redemption through Jesus Christ. That is why the Blessed Mother urges us to read the Bible daily, for it reveals her Son to us in greater and greater depth. Thus St. Jerome could say:
"To be ignorant of the scriptures is not to know Christ." And since he is the way, the truth, and the life, it is essential that we know him intimately.
Application:
Today, take several minutes to reflect on the Parable of the Sower as found in Luke 8:4-15.
Medjugorje Day by Day May 15 - GIVE THEM LIGHT
Mother Teresa
We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
May the Mother of Jesus, and our Mother, always smile on your spirit, obtaining for it, from her Most Holy Son, every heavenly blessing.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
The clash of egos is always a losing proposition
"When a person builds his philosophy of life on the principle of self-will, he is in for a tremendous shock. It happens that most other people he meets in the world have exactly the same principle. The result is that one individual has self-will contradicted by another; the ego is negated by another ego; wishes are not fulfilled; whims are negated, crossed and rejected by other egos equally bent on self assertion."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
My Jesus, despite Your graces, I see and feel all my misery. I begin my day with battle and end it with battle. As soon as I conquer one obstacle, ten more appear to take its place. But I am not worried, because I know that this is the time of struggle, not peace. When the burden of the battle becomes too much for me, I throw myself like a child into the arms of the heavenly Father and trust I will not perish. O my Jesus, how prone I am to evil, and this forces me to be constantly vigilant. But I do not lose heart. I trust God's grace, which abounds in the worst misery. (606)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
May 15 - GIVE THEM LIGHT
Today the Blessed Virgin calls us to light:
Dear children, you have all experienced light and darkness during your lives. God gives every person the power to recognize good and evil. I am calling you to light, which you must carry to all who are in darkness. From day to day, people who are in darkness come into your homes. You, dear children, must give them the light (Weekly Message March 14, 1985).
As we see in John's gospel, Jesus himself is the light
Jesus said to them, "The light is with you a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness May not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you May become children of light." (Jn 12:35-36).
Reflection:
There is a famous cave, some 60 miles from Auckland in New Zealand. It is known as the cave of the glowworms. You reach it in a boat which is pulled by a wire for silence. As you glide down the stream, you suddenly come across a soft light gleaming in the distance; then you enter a magic world. From the top of the cave, thousands of threads hang down from the glowing insects. So great is the light that it is possible to read a book there. But if there is a slightest noise, the bright light dies out, just as if a switch had been turned off.
The light to one committed Christian can illuminate not only his family, but also the parish and community in which he lives. Most of us have known someone like this; their kindness, unselfishness, and love have had special effect on our lives. If you multiply such an individual several million times, you have a power which can enlighten an entire world. This is the reason why Our Lady came to Medjugorje, and why we have been asked to live her messages.
Application:
Carry the light of faith and peace to all you meet today. May your example draw them closer to Christ.
Medjugorje Day By Day June 02 - PRAY AND FAST
Holy Folly!
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18
Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. Still, you can't get there from here apart from the cross.
A whole world system has been erected in order to avoid that simple fact and it has looked for salvation in a thousand forms, all predicated on building heaven on earth by being rich enough, smart enough, socialist enough, white enough, black enough, German enough, religious enough, etc. The goal has always been the same: don't lose. Be a winner. Crosses are for suckers and saps and losers.
And so, God made this ultimately foolish thing the ultimate wisdom. He made the ultimate sign of weakness the ultimate sign of strength.
"The bread and wine, by the action of the Holy Spirit, really become the body and blood of Christ, who gives himself to be man's nourishment in his journey on earth." "The same logic of love precedes the Incarnation of the Word in the womb of Mary and his making himself present in the Eucharist. It is `agape,' charity, love in the most beautiful and pure sense" (From Pope John Paul II's, April 8, 2004 homily).
Mother Teresa -
God is everywhere and in everything and without Him we cannot exist.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
Let us look with profound gratitude at that sublime mystery which attracted the Heart of Jesus to His creature with such force; let us look at the great condescension with which He put on our own flesh to live the miserable life of this earth in our midst; let us muster up all the forces of our intellect to consider worthily the tenacious fervour and hardship of His apostolate, to recall the horror of His passion and martyrdom and to adore His Blood… royally offered to the last drop for the redemption of mankind; then with humble faith and the same ardent love with which He surrounds and pursues our soul, let us bow our impure foreheads at His feet (GF,170).
Archbishop Fulton Sheen -
The sign of character is in the little things
"Faithfulness in great things is not uncommon; faithfulness in little things is rare but most indicative of true character."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html
One day during Holy Mass, the Lord gave me a deeper knowledge of His holiness and His majesty, and at the same time I saw my own misery. This knowledge made me happy, and my soul drowned itself completely in His mercy. I felt enormously happy. (1801)
One day, when I was preparing for Holy Communion and noticed that I had nothing to offer Him, I fell at His feet, calling down all His mercy upon my poor soul: "May Your grace, which flows down upon me from Your Compassionate Heart, strengthen me for the struggle and sufferings, that I may remain faithful to You. And, although I am such misery, I do not fear You, because I know Your mercy well. Nothing will frighten me away from You, O God, because everything is so much less than what I know [Your mercy to be]-I see that clearly. (1803)
Today, I am not forcing myself to make any special preparation. I cannot think of anything, though I feel many things. I long for the time when God will come to my heart. I throw myself in His arms and tell Him about my inability and my misery. I pour out all the pain of my heart, for not being able to love Him as much as I want. I arouse within myself acts of faith, hope and charity and live on that throughout the day. (1813)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
JUNE 2 - PRAY AND FAST
In January of 1984, Jelena received the following locution:
Pray and fast. For those who want to make a special sacrifice, fast up to three times a week at the most, but do not prolong it further (Locutionist Jelena & Mirijana January 22, 1984).
Jesus also advises his followers on fasting:
And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you (Mt 6:16-18).
Reflection:
A fruitful fast often depends on the right attitude at the beginning. Here, then, is a condensed version of a prayer for just that purpose, written by Fr. Slavko Barbaric, spiritual director to the visionaries. Loving Father, today I have decided to fast. I can remember that your prophets of old fasted, that Jesus our Lord fasted, as did his disciples. The Blessed Virgin also fasted and has called me as well. Eternal Father, I offer this day of fasting to you. May it draw me closer to you, teach me your ways, and open my eyes to see your many gifts. May love for you and for my neighbor fill my heart to overflowing.
Lord, may this fast help me to grow in understanding the hungry, the deprived, the poor. Let me see my possessions as gifts for the journey meant to be shared. Grant also to me the grace of humility and the strength to do your will.
Lord, may this fast cleanse me of bad habits, calm my passions, and increase your virtues within me. And may you, Mother Mary, obtain for me the grace of a joyful fast, that my heart may sing with you a song of thanksgiving. I place my decision to fast firmly in your hands. Teach me through fasting to be more and more like your Son, Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Application:
Use Fr. Salvo's prayer on the morning of your next several fast days.
Our Lady of Medjugorje's June 2, 2010 Message through Mirjana:
The following is Our Lady of Medjugorje's June 2, 2010 Message on the day for non-believers through Mirjana:
"Dear children, today I call you, with fasting and prayer, to clear the way by which my Son will enter into your hearts. Accept me as a mother and a messenger of God's love and of His desire for your salvation. Free yourself of everything from the past which burdens you and gives you a sense of guilt; of everything that brought you to error - darkness. Accept the light. Be born anew in the justice of my Son. Thank you."
Medjugorje Day By Day June 01 - TO BECOME PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS
"Were it not for the constant presence of our divine Master in our humble chapel I would have found it possible to persevere in sharing the lot of the lepers in Molokai
... The Eucharist is the bread that gives strength ... It is at once the most eloquent proof of his love and the most powerful means of fostering his love in us" (Bl. Damien of Molokai, Apostle of the Lepers).
Mother Teresa
We all need time for silence, to reflect and pray.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
May the Heart of Jesus be the goal of all your inspirations (ASN,44)
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
The separation of state from man's soul
"The stubborn worship of a theory has had most appalling consequences in our day. To the theorist, it does not seem to matter that whole nations are deprived of liberty, that millions starve, that thousands are purged - so long as the theory is maintained in power. Instead of making the hat of governmental policy fit the head of man, the modern tendency is to cut off the head if it does not fit the hat - to demand that institutions, political schemes and social theories must prevail, no matter if their cost proves to be the destruction of man himself."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
May You be adored, O merciful God of ours,
O All-powerful Lord and Creator.
In deepest humility, we give You praise,
Plunging ourselves into the ocean of Your Godhead.
But man did not persevere in the hour of trial.
At the instigation of the evil one, he became unfaithful to You.
He lost Your grace and gifts; only misery was left him,
And tears, suffering, sorrow and bitterness, until he would
rest in the grave.
But you, O merciful God, did not let humanity perish,
And gave it the promise of a Redeemer.
You did not let us despair, despite our grave offenses,
And You sent Your prophets to Israel.
Still, day and night, mankind cries out to You,
From the abyss of misery, sin and all pain.
Hear the moaning and the tears, You who reign in heaven,
God of great mercy, God of compassion....
Humanity calls out to You unceasingly, O Lord of Lords,
Calls out to Your unfathomable mercy, to Your compassion.
O great Yahweh, grant that we may make atonement,
Remember Your goodness, and forgive us our sins. (1744)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
JUNE 1 - TO BECOME PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS
Our Lady expresses her high regard for the priesthood and religious life, and for our free will:
I would like all of you to become priests and religious, but only if you desire it. You are free. It is up to you to choose (First Years December 8, 1981).
And in his letter to Timothy, Paul calls for appreciation and support of the local church leaders (elders):
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of the double honor especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. Never accept any accusation against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses (1 Tm 5:17,19).
Reflection:
In answering questions from the visionaries about their futures, it is significant that the Virgin would first recommend the priesthood and religious life. Her esteem for these vocations is shared by St. Paul, who called on the early church to support and encourage their leaders.
It's not surprising, then, that the priesthood
is a special target of the Evil One. No greater damage can be done to the church than to injure its shepherds. Add to this the apathy and secularism of many Catholics, and it is not hard to understand the discouragement of some priests and the subsequent clergy shortage.
But there are reasons for hope. Medjugorje and the Marian and charismatic movement s have been producing scores of vocations and deepening the spiritual lives of many Catholics, brightening the horizon of the church as she enter the 21st century.
Application:
Here are a few ways you can buoy the priesthood in your own area through the support and encouragement of your parish priest:
--Simply befriend your local priest; be positive and supportive rather than critical and discouraging.
--Greet your parish priest after Mass; if you liked his homily, be sure to tell him so.
--Send him a little note or greeting card at Christmas and Easter, perhaps with a gift.
--Our Lady once said, "Do not judge the priest." Gossip or slander, like any other sin, should be avoided.
--Remember that priests are human beings. Like everyone they have strengths and weaknesses, virtues and foibles. Be as accepting and supportive of them as you would of any friend.
Medjugorje Day By Day May 31 - FEAST OF THE VISITATION
"By partaking of the body and blood of Christ you become one body and one blood with him. In such a way you become bearers of Christ, his body and blood spread through your limbs. In this way you become, in the words of St. Peter, 'partakers of the divine nature'" (St. Cyril of Jerusalem).
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
The lure of evil!
"It is a fact that more crimes are committed in one year on television than in six major cities of the United States; a threat or an act of violence is enacted every two and one half minutes on children's television shows. In the end, the police always catch up with the criminal, thus giving a smattering of justice. It is now a mark of a simpleton to exhibit a naive surprise at the quantity of evil that is in the world. This major interest in crime indicates something new - namely, the obtrusiveness of evil. Added to this is the psychological fact that evil is pictured in someone else."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
Today the Lord said to me, Daughter, when you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it. Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself entirely in My mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul. When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity. The torrents of grace inundate humble souls. The proud remain always in poverty and misery, because My grace turns away from them to humble souls. (1602)
O Christ, suffering for You is the delight of my heart and my soul. Prolong my sufferings to infinity, that I may give You a proof of my love. I accept everything that Your hand will hold out to me. Your love, Jesus, is enough for me. I will glorify You in abandonment and darkness, in agony and fear, in pain and bitterness, in anguish of spirit and grief of heart. In all things may You be blessed. My heart is so detached from the earth, that You Yourself are enough for me. There is no longer any moment in my life for self concern. (1662)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
May 31 - FEAST OF THE VISITATION
As she bore Jesus in her womb when visiting Elizabeth, so Our Lady wishes to bear us to he Son:
Dear children, I am with you even if you are not conscious of it. I want to protect you from everything that Satan offers you, and through which he wants to destroy you. As I bore Jesus in my womb, so also, dear children, do I wish to bear you into holiness.
God wants to save you and sends you messages through men, nature, and so many things, which can only help you to understand that you must change the direction of your life.
Therefore, little children, understand the greatness of the gift which God is giving you through me, so that I May protect you with my mantle and lead you the joy of life (Monthly Message March 25, 1990).
And from Luke's gospel, the story of the Visitation:
In those days Mary set out and went with hast to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry,
"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord" (Lk 1:39-45).
Reflection:
On this feast of the Visitation, celebrated as the second joyful mystery of the rosary, Our Lady states that "as I bore Jesus in my womb, so also, dear children, do I wish to bear you unto holiness." Here Mary draws a beautiful parallel: just as she carried the unborn Jesus to her cousin Elizabeth, so she wishes to bear each of us, safe and protected, to holiness-to intimacy with God.
Her cousin was deeply aware of the greatness of the gift that Mary bore: "blessed is the fruit of your womb." In a like fashion, Our Lady asks us today "to understand the greatness of the gift God is giving you through me"--the gift of Medjugorje: the extraordinary graces, the messages which have changed the world, and the gift of her presence among us for so many years.
Application:
The spirit of gratitude is the theme of Mary's message today. In prayer, reflect on the great gifts Our Lady has given us through Medjugorje. Offer the Joyful Mysteries in thanksgiving
Medjugorje Day By Day May 30 MEMORIAL DAY
Don't limit God - God has all the Grace we need. All we have to do is ask for them.
ASK FOR A SOUL for every WORD you say on your Rosary Prayers
AND your Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Pray and ask
Message 25. April 2010
"Dear children! At this time, when in a special way you are praying and seeking my intercession, I call you, little children, to pray so that through your prayers I can help you to have all the more hearts be opened to my messages. Pray for my intentions. I am with you and I intercede before my Son for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Our Lady said she needs us, Needs our prayers.
Mirjana's Annual March 18, 2010 Message
"Dear children! Today I call you to love with all your heart and with all your soul. Pray for the gift of love, because when the soul loves it calls my Son to itself. My Son does not refuse those who call Him and who desire to live according to Him. Pray for those who do not comprehend love, who do not understand what it means to love. Pray that God may be their Father and not their Judge. My children, you be my apostles, be my river of love. I need you. Thank you."
As Fr Corapi says, "We are at war."
St Padre Pio said, "Give me my weapon!"
The weapon he was talking about was his Rosary.
From St Faustina's Diary #961
961 + This morning after completing my spiritual exercises, I began at once to crochet. I sensed a stillness in my heart; I sensed that Jesus was resting in it. That deep and sweet consciousness of God's presence prompted me to say to the Lord, "O Most Holy Trinity dwelling in my heart, I beg You: grant the grace of conversion to as many souls as the [number of] stitches that I will make today with this crochet hook." Then I heard these words in my soul: My daughter, too great are your demands. "Jesus, You know that for You it is easier to grant much rather than a little."
That is so, it is less difficult for Me to grant a soul much rather than a little, but every conversion of a sinful soul demands sacrifice. "Well, Jesus, I offer You this whole-hearted work of mine; this offering does not seem to me to be too small for such a large number of souls; You know, Jesus, that for thirty years You were saving souls by just this kind of work. And since holy obedience forbids me to perform great penances and mortifications, therefore I ask You, Lord: accept these mere nothings stamped with the seal of obedience as great things." Then I heard a voice in my soul: My dear daughter, I comply with your request.
"No more than one visit to the Blessed Sacrament is sometimes necessary to change immediately the dispositions of a heart and to cause the sweetest repose and full contentment to succeed the greatest trouble and sorrow. Many have approached the Blessed Sacrament languishing and overwhelmed with grief, and have returned replenished with strength, courage, and even alacrity and joy" Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
"We are all praying one Hail Mary before Holy Mass to Our Lady of Medjugorje."
Mother Teresa
People ask me what advice I have for a married couple struggling in their relationship. I always "Pray and forgive".
Meditations by Padre Pio -
May 30 Always be faithful to God in observing the promises you made Him, and pay no attention to the mocking of the foolish. Know that the Saints were always mocked by the world and the worldly, but even so they placed the world and its maxims under their feet. May 31 The field of battle between God and Satan is the human soul. This is where it takes place every moment of our lives.
The soul must give free access to our Lord and be completely fortified by Him with every kind of weapon; His light must illuminate it to fight the darkness of error; he must put on Jesus Christ, His truth and justice, the shield of faith, the word of God to overcome such powerful enemies. To put on Jesus Christ we must die to ourselves.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
That sickening pit in man's soul can be hell!
"Hell - which once was pictured `way down there' - is back again, but now `way in here' in the breast of man. He who was wont in saner days to confess his faults, admit personal guilt, and try to make some amends for both, is induced to become a kind of regurgitating sewer, vomiting the rottenness within; an analysis of the stagnant waters that comes from unconsciousness promises a cure, but it is most cases no more saves than an analysis of the waters of a sinking ship saves the vessel.
The ancient principle of purgation of evil has now become a kind of curiosity in which a mind takes delight in its mental spewing after the fashion of the dog described in Sacred Scripture who `returns again to his vomit' (Proverbs 26: 11)."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
O Greatly Merciful God, Infinite Goodness, today all mankind calls out from the abyss of its misery to Your mercy-to Your compassion, O God; and it is with its mighty voice of misery that it cries out.
Gracious God, do not reject the prayer of this earth's exiles! O Lord, Goodness beyond our understanding, Who are acquainted with our misery through and through, and know that by our own power we cannot ascend to You, we implore You: anticipate us with Your grace and keep on increasing Your mercy in us, that we may faithfully do Your holy will all through our life and at death's hour.
Let the omnipotence of Your mercy shield us from the darts of our salvation's enemies, that we may with confidence, as Your children, await Your final coming-that day known to You alone. And we expect to obtain everything promised us by Jesus in spite of all our wretchedness. For Jesus is our Hope: Through His merciful Heart, as through an open gate, we pass through to heaven. (1570)
Know, My daughter, that between Me and you there is a bottomless abyss, an abyss which separates the Creator from the creature. But this abyss is filled with My mercy. I raise you up to Myself, not that I have need of you, but it is solely out of mercy that I grant you the grace of union with Myself. (1576)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
May 30 - MEMORIAL DAY
In December of 1990, the Blessed Mother spoke of peace:
Dear children , today I invite you to pray especially for peace. Dear children, without peace you cannot experience the birth of the infant Jesus either today nor in your daily lives.
Therefore, pray to the Lord of Peace that he May protect you with his mantle and help you to comprehend the great importance of having peace in your hearts. In this way you will be able to spread peace in hearts around the whole world. I am with you and intercede for you before God.
Pray , for Satan wants to destroy my plans for peace. Be reconciled with one another and, through your lives, help peace to reign over the whole earth. (Monthly Message December 25, 1990).
The psalmist voices a prayer for peace:
Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, And grant us your salvation. Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, For he will speak peace to his people, To his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
---Psalm 85:7-8
Reflections:
On this Memorial Day, it is appropriate that we have heard Our Lady speak again of peace, for this is the cause for which so many of our countrymen have given their lives. Their courage and sacrifice have led us closer to that time when, as Isaiah says, "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."
Application:
In memory and in appreciation of all those who gave their lives for freedom, democracy and peace, let us offer the following prayer today:
Lord Jesus Christ, today we honor the memory of those men and women who have given their lives for America in the cause of freedom. They have worked, fought, and died for the heritage of freedom, brotherhood, and peace that they have passed on to us. In scripture you said to us:
"Greater love than this no man has: that he lay down his life for his friends." We recall that you yourself gave up your life for all people in the cause of true freedom -to save us from sin and selfishness.
As we remember our honored dead, teach us to appreciate the virtue of patriotism-a true and Christian love of country. May we love this Land of the Free and seek to make it a land of goodness, refuge, and equality for all Americans. We place our nation unreservedly in your hands, for in you we hope and trust. Amen.
Medjugorje Day By Day May 29 - WITNESS TO THIS PEACE
"All the saints of history . . . have been distinguished for the love of Our Lord in the Eucharist and for Mary . . . . So there is no canonized saint to whom I cannot cry out with confidence to obtain for me a great love for Mary so that I may borrow her Immaculate Heart to come closer to the Sacred Heart of Our Lord in the Eucharist" (John Haffert).
Mother Teresa
Start and end the day with prayer. Come to God as a child. If you find it hard to pray you can say, "Come Holy Spirit, guide me, protect me, clear out my mind so that I can pray." When you pray, give thanks to God for all His gifts because everything is His and a gift from Him. Your soul is a gift of God.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
May 29 Oh God!, let yourself always be heard, more and more, by my poor heart, and accomplish in me the work you have begun. I hear an interior voice which assiduously says to be: Sanctify yourself and others. Well, my dearest, I want to do this, but I don't know where to begin. Help me, you also. I know that Jesus is very fond of you, and you deserve this. Therefore, speak to Him for me, that He might grant me the grace of making me and less unworthy son of St. Francis, so that I can be an example to my confreres, in order that fervour might continue to grow more and more within me, making me have perfect capuchin.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
The beast is loose!
"It was not that many years ago that H.G. Wells and others, in their false optimism, were telling us that in a short time we would be as gods, and that happiness would increase with economic prosperity. Religion, for the moment, was regarded as a kind of ambulance which took care of the sick until scientific progress could take over. Now alas, the beast who was evolving to become a god, has suddenly gone berserk before he has become a man."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
At that moment I saw Jesus, and from His Heart there issued those same two rays, which enveloped me, whole and entire. At the same moment, all my torments vanished. My daughter, the Lord said, know that of yourself you are just what you have gone through, and it is only by My grace that you are a participant of eternal life and all the gifts I lavish on you.
And with these words of the Lord, there came to me a true knowledge of myself. Jesus is giving me a lesson in deep humility and, at the same time, one of total trust in Him. My heart is reduced to dust and ashes, and even if all people were to trample me under their feet, I would still consider that a favor.
I feel and am, in fact, very deeply permeated with the knowledge that I am nothing, so that real humiliations will be a refreshment for me. (1559)
And at that very moment I saw myself in some kind of a palace; and Jesus gave me His hand, sat me at His side, and said with kindness, My bride, you always please Me by your humility. The greatest misery does not stop Me from uniting Myself to a soul, but where there is pride, I am not there.
When I came to myself, I reflected on what had happened in my heart, thanking God for His love and for the mercy that He had shown me. (1563)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
May 29 - WITNESS TO THIS PEACE
The Blessed Mother speaks of peace today:
Dear children, God has permitted me, in union with him, to found this oasis of peace. I call you to protect it. Through their indifference, some people destroy prayer and peace. And so I beseech you, witness to this peace by your lives, that it May be preserved (Weekly Message June 26, 1986).
And in Isaiah, the Lord promises a covenant of peace
For the mountains May depart, And the hills be removed, But my steadfast love shall not depart from you, And my covenant of peace shall not be removed, Says the Lord, who has compassion on you. --Isaiah 54:10
Reflection:
Sometimes a story of men living peace is more valuable than words about peace. F. H. Drinkwater tells such a story, set in Italy during World War II.
In the mountain village of Giazza, north of Verona, German paratroopers were going to execute some villagers, presumably for showing resistance. The parish priest, Fr. Domenico Mercante, offered himself as a hostage. The German accepted his offer, and decided to shoot him. When the time came, one of the firing-party refused to obey orders. "I can't shoot a priest," he said. He was placed at the priest's side, and both were shot together. The soldier's name is unknown.
Fifteen years later, the Bishop of Verona unveiled a simple white monument commemorating the two heroes.
The German embassy in Rome was represented, and the Italian Minister of Justice gave an address. He said, "The example of a priest and a soldier dying by the same rifle fire, in order that not only the written law but the unwritten law too should be respected, provides an example of great moral value. It gives rise to the hope that the cause for peace May find its strongest protection in the conscience of humble but heroic spirits."
Application:
Jesus and Our Lady both call us to live peace and pray for peace. Today, pray especially for peace, and strive to be a peacemaker this week within your family, at your workplace, and among your friends.
Medjugorje Day By Day May 26- ST. PHILIP NERI
"In the Eucharist we have Jesus, we have his redemptive sacrifice, we have his resurrection, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit, we have adoration, obedience and love of the Father" (Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 60).
St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein), wrote, "The Lord is present in the
tabernacle in his divinity and in his humanity. He is not present for his own sake
but for ours: it is his delight to be with the `children of men.' He knows,
too, that, being what we are, we need his personal nearness.
In consequence, every thoughtful and sensitive person will feel attracted and will be there as
often and as long as possible. And the practice of the Church, which has
instituted perpetual adoration, is just as clear."
Mother Teresa--
I always begin my prayer in silence, for it is in the silence of the heart that God speaks. God is the friend of silence - we need to listen to God because it's not what we say but what He says to us and through us that matters.
Prayer feeds the soul - as blood is to the body, prayer is the soul - and it brings you closer to God. It also gives you a clean and pure heart. A clean heart can see God, can speak to God, and can see the love of God in others.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
May 26 Have you ever seen a field of fully ripened grain? You will see that some ears are tall and vigorous; while others are bent to the ground. Try to take the tall one, the most vain, you will see that it is empty; if instead you take the low ones, the most humble, these are laden with grain. From this you can deduce that vanity is empty.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Crosses are easier to bear when we have prepared properly
"Crosses are inescapable. Those who start with self-love have already created for themselves the possibility of millions of other crosses from those who live by the same pride. But those who discipline themselves and tame the ego by little acts of self-denial have already prepared themselves to meet crosses from the outside; they have familiarized themselves with them, and the shock is less when they are thrust on their shoulders."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
Fourth day. O Jesus, I have been feeling extraordinarily well, close to Your Heart, during this retreat. Nothing disturbs the depths of my peace. With one eye, I gaze on the abyss of my misery and with the other, on the abyss of Your mercy. (1345)
Today, the Lord gave me to know interiorly that He would never abandon me. He gave me to know His majesty and His holiness as well as His love and mercy towards me; and He gave me a deeper knowledge of my own wretchedness. However, this great misery of mine does not deprive me of trust. On the contrary, the better I have come to know my own misery, the stronger has become my trust in God's mercy. I have come to understand how all this depends on the Lord. I know that no one will touch a single hair of my head without His willing it. (1406)
Lord, although You often make known to me the thunders of Your anger, Your anger vanishes before lowly souls. Although You are great, Lord, You allow yourself to be overcome by a lowly and deeply humble soul. O humility, the most precious of virtues, how few souls possess you! I see only a semblance of this virtue everywhere, but not the virtue itself. Lord, reduce me to nothingness in my own eyes that I may find grace in Yours. (1436)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
May 26 - ST. PHILIP NERI
During a locution to Jelena, the Madonna gave this advice:
Dear children, open your hearts and let Jesus guide you. For many people it seems to be hard, but it is really so easy! You don't have to be afraid because you know that Jesus will never leave you, and you know that he leads you to salvation (Locution Jelena & Marijana August 11, 1986).
The psalmist also speaks of God's guidance:
Then he led out his people like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock. He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid; But the sea overwhelmed their enemies, With upright heart he tended them, And guided them with skillful hand. Psalm 78:52-53,72
Reflection:
Since his early youth, St. Philip Neri allowed Christ to guide him with a free hand. Love of others, simplicity of life, and joyous service to God would accurately describe his life and spirit. A priest and friend of the young, Philip also had a great love for the sick and the poor, sharing their lot in order to be close to them in the streets of Rome.
His street ministry also included the unemployed, the homeless, the shopkeepers, and especially wayward young people. He worked to help them improve themselves materially and to appreciate the spiritual as well. After a busy day on the streets, he very often spent the night in prayer.
His spirit of joyful service inspired the priest who joined him in the Congregation of the Oratory, which he founded in 1564. His eye was always of Christ, who he said guided each step of his life. He once wrote:
If you wish for something from Christ, you don not know what you are wishing for. If you long for something apart from Christ, you do not know what you are longing for. If you work apart from Christ, you do not know what you are doing.
Application:
"Open your hearts, "Our Lady says today, "and let Jesus guide you. You don't have to be afraid because you know that Jesus will never leave you." In prayer today, let us open our hearts as the Virgin requests, asking for Christ's guidance during the next twenty-four hours.
Medjugorje Day By Day May 27 - ESPECIALLY YOU, THE YOUNGEST
Medjugorje Monthly Message of May 25, 2004-
Message of May 25, 2004 "Dear children! Also today, I urge you to consecrate yourselves to my Heart and to the Heart of my Son Jesus. Only in this way will you be mine more each day and you will inspire each other all the more to holiness. In this way joy will rule your hearts and you will be carriers of peace and love. Thank you for having responded to my call." 05/2004
"Helping Christ carry His cross fills one with a strong and pure joy, and those who may and can do so, the builders of God's kingdom are the most authentic children of God." -- St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Mother Teresa-
If you are searching for God and do not know where to begin, learn to pray and take the trouble to pray every day. You can pray at work - work doesn't have to stop prayer and prayer doesn't have to stop work. Tell Him everything, talk to Him. He is our father, He is to us all whatever religion we are. We are all created by God, we are his children. We have to put our trust in Him, believe in Him, work for Him. And if we pray, we will get all the answers we need.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
May 27 We should make an great effort to become holy, and render great service to God and our neighbor.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen-
We can accept or reject our crosses, but we can't avoid them
"There are only two things we can do with crosses - carry them or kick against them. We can merge them in God's plan for life and thus make them serve our inner peace and happiness, or we can stumble over them to the glen of weeping. Selfishness is the cause of much mental sickness; otherness, sympathy, forgiveness and self-discipline are the cure."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
O my Jesus, in terrible bitterness and pain,
I yet feel the caress of Your Divine Heart.
Like a good mother, You press me to Your bosom,
And even now You give me to experience what the veil hides.
O my Jesus, in this wilderness and terror which surround me,
My heart still feels the warmth of Your gaze,
Which no storm can blot out from me,
As You give me the assurance of Your great love, O God.
O my Jesus, midst the great miseries of this life,
You shine like a star, O Jesus, protecting me from shipwreck.
And though my miseries be great,
I have great trust in the power of Your mercy.
O hidden Jesus, in the many struggles of my last hour,
May the omnipotence of Your grace be poured out upon my soul,
That at death's moment I may gaze upon You
And see You face to face, as do the chosen in heaven.
O my Jesus, midst the dangers which surround me,
I go through life with a cry of joy, my head raised proudly,
Because against Your Heart so filled with love, O Jesus,
All enemies will be crushed, all darkness dispelled. (1479)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
May 27 - ESPECIALLY YOU, THE YOUNGEST
The following was given to Ivan's prayer group on Mt. Podbrdo in July of 1990:
Dear children, tonight your Mother would like to invite you again to prayer. Especially you, the youngest, who will be here in large numbers during these days. I call you to prayer.
Pray, pray, pray, and renew your hearts so you can accept all that I tell you in my messages. Thank you, dear children, for you make me happy by your prayers (Visionary Prayer Group July 30, 1990).
St. John also affirms the young:
I write to you, children,
Because you know the Father.
I write to you fathers,
Because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young people,
Because you are strong
And the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the evil one.
--1 John 2:14
Reflection:
Two fifteen-year-old boys alarmed onlookers in Norfolk, Virginia, who watched them drift down the forty-foot-deep Elizabeth River on a makeshift raft. It was a 3 X 6 foot mortar box used by brick masons. The Coast Guard finally rescued them as they were floating toward the open ocean in their unseaworthy craft.
Young people are blessed with a daring and adventurous spirit. But it is important that their enthusiasm and resourcefulness be wisely directed. At the same time, great care must be taken not to suppress their spirit and potential.
The Lord himself encouraged his apostles to "launch out into the deep" as fishers of men. But at the same time he made sure they were rooted in divine truth and love. Through prayer and example, we can help young people to be daring in faith and in living the messages of Our Lady.
Application:
In prayer today, call to mind the young people of your family as well as others that you know. Commend them to the Blessed Mother that she May renew their hearts and help them to live her messages. Also today, be especially conscious of your example of faith to the young people around you.
Medjugorje Day By Day May 28 - LIVE LOVE
Message of May 25, 2006
"Dear children!
Also today I call you to put into practice and to live my messages that I am giving you. Decide for holiness, little children, and think of heaven. Only in this way, will you have peace in your heart that no one will be able to destroy. Peace is a gift, which God gives you in prayer.
Little children, seek and work with all your strength for peace to win in your hearts and in the world. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Message of May 25, 2005 from Our Lady of Medjugorje-
"Dear children! Anew I call you to live my messages in humility. Especially witness them now when we are approaching the anniversary of my apparitions. Little children, be a sign to those who are far from God and His love. I am with you and bless you all with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call."
This is the business of our life. By labor and prayer to advance in the grace of God, till we come to that height of perfection in which, with clean hearts, we may behold God. -St. Augustine
Mother Teresa
Without prayer I could not work for even half an hour. I get my strength from God through prayer.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
May 28 Let us become saints so that after having been together on earth we will be together forever in heaven.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Pride and Prejudice!
"We can set ourselves above others, and feel superior to them in either of two ways: by our knowledge, or by our power; by flaunting what we know, or by using money and influence to make ourselves supreme. Such forms of behavior always spring from pride."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
February 2, [1938]. Darkness of the soul. Today is the Feast of the Mother of God, and in my soul it is so dark. The Lord has hidden Himself, and I am alone, all alone. My mind has become so dimmed that I see only fantasies about me. Not a single ray of light penetrates my soul. I do not understand myself or those who speak to me.
Frightful temptations regarding the holy faith assail me. O my Jesus, save me. I cannot say anything more. I cannot describe these things in detail, for I fear lest someone be scandalized on reading this. I am astounded that such torments could befall a soul. O hurricane, what are you doing to the boat of my heart? This storm has lasted the whole day and night.
When Mother Superior [Irene] came in to see me and asked, "Would you like to take advantage of this occasion, Sister, since Father An. [Andrasz] is coming to hear confessions?" I answered, no. It seemed to me that Father would not understand me, nor would I be able to make a confession.
I spent the whole night with Jesus in Gethsemane. From my breast there escaped one continuous moan. A natural dying will be much easier, because then one is in agony and will die; while here, one is in agony, but cannot die. O Jesus, I never thought such suffering could exist. Nothingness: that is the reality.
O Jesus, save me! I believe in You with all my heart. So many times have I seen the radiance of Your face, and now, where are You, Lord?... I believe, I believe, and again I believe in You, Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and in all the truths which Your holy Church gives me to believe... But the darkness does not recede, and my spirit plunges into even greater agony. And at that moment, such terrible torment overwhelmed me that now I am amazed at myself that I did not breathe my last, but this was for only a brief instant. (1558)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
May 28 - LIVE LOVE
Our Lady speaks of love today:
Dear children, I wish to thank you for all your sacrifices and I also call you to the greatest sacrifice, the sacrifice of love. Without love, you will be unable to accept either me or my Son. Without love, you will not be able to convey your experiences to others. Therefore, dear children, live love within your hearts. (Weekly Message March 27, 1986).
And from St. John's first letter, a famous passage on love:
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us ( 1 Jn 4:7-12).
Reflection:
Love can do the impossible. The New York Times once ran a story of a crippled woman leaving her crutches and running up a flight of stairs to rescue her 3 year old daughter, when fire threatened to trap the child in an upstairs bedroom. The mother, injured in a car crash 2 years previously, had been unable to walk without crutches ever since the accident. Realizing that the life of her little daughter was at stake, she momentarily forgot her own physical handicap. She rushed to the upper floor, grabbed the sleeping child and carried her to safety.
For most of us, there are times when our capacity to love is obstructed by self-concern, worry, or a flagging faith. In such a case, the Blessed Mother recommends that we surrender these obstacles to her Son and, through prayer, seek the gift of divine love with a sincere heart.
Application:
Today, reflect prayerfully on John's full discourse on love (1 Jn 4:7-21), and then ask the Lord to instill this love within your heart.
Medjugorje Day By Day May 25 - A SPRINGTIME MESSAGE
Message, 25. May 2010--
"Dear children! God gave you the grace to live and to defend all the good that is in you and around you, and to inspire others to be better and holier; but Satan, too, does not sleep and through modernism diverts you and leads you to his way. Therefore, little children, in the love for my Immaculate Heart, love God above everything and live His commandments. In this way, your life will have meaning and peace will rule on earth. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Message of May 25, 2009--
Dear children! In this time, I call you all to pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit upon every baptised creature, so that the Holy Spirit may renew you all and lead you on the way of witnessing your faith – you and all those who are far from God and his love. I am with you and intercede for you before the Most High. Thank you for having responded to my call. May 25, 2009
Message of May 25, 2007 from Our Lady of Medjugorje--
"Dear children! Pray with me to the Holy Spirit for Him to lead you in the search of God's will on the way of your holiness. And you, who are far from prayer, convert and, in the silence of your heart, seek salvation for your soul and nurture it with prayer. I bless you all individually with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Message of May 25, 2005 from Our Lady of Medjugorje--
"Dear children! Anew I call you to live my messages in humility. Especially witness them now when we are approaching the anniversary of my apparitions. Little children, be a sign to those who are far from God and His love. I am with you and bless you all with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call."
"The Heart of the Immaculate Virgin is an abyss of wonders. Enter this most pure sanctuary with respect and contemplate an incomparable masterpiece of purity, love, and every virtue. Mary is a mother. Her great desire is to clothe all her children with her own virtue for the glory of Jesus. You have entered into her heart. Do not leave it. Remain there and learn from her. Ask her to embellish your soul according to the divine ideal and in the heart of Mary you will soon come to know the heart of Jesus, the desires of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus" (Bl. Dina Belanger).
St. Clare of Assisi, Foundress of Poor Clare Nuns, Italy (1193-1253), Feast, Aug. 11 "I come, O Lord, unto Thy sanctuary to see the life and food of my soul. As I hope in Thee, O Lord, inspire me with that confidence which brings me to Thy holy mountain. Permit me, Divine Jesus, to come closer to Thee, that my whole soul may do homage to the greatness of Thy majesty; that my heart, with its tenderest affections, may acknowledge Thine infinite love; that my memory may dwell on the admirable mysteries here renewed every day, and that the sacrifice of my whole being may accompany Thine."
Mother Teresa--
I always begin my prayer in silence, for it is in the silence of the heart that God speaks. God is the friend of silence - we need to listen to God because it's not what we say but what He says to us and through us that matters. Prayer feeds the soul - as blood is to the body, prayer is the soul - and it brings you closer to God. It also gives you a clean and pure heart. A clean heart can see God, can speak to God, and can see the love of God in others.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
Science, my son, for all its greatness in nevertheless a small thing; and less than nothing compared to the formidable mystery of the Divinity. You must take another road. Cleanse your heart of every earthly passion, humble yourself in the dust and pray! In this way you will certainly find God, who will give you peace and serenity in this life and eternal beatitude in the next.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Pride and Prejudice!
"We can set ourselves above others, and feel superior to them in either of two ways: by our knowledge, or by our power; by flaunting what we know, or by using money and influence to make ourselves supreme. Such forms of behavior always spring from pride."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
O my Jesus, in thanksgiving for Your many graces, I offer You my body and soul, intellect and will, and all the sentiments of my heart. Through the vows, I have given myself entirely to You; I have then nothing more that I can offer You.
Jesus said to me, My daughter, you have not offered Me that which is really yours. I probed deeply into myself and found that I love God with all the faculties of my soul and, unable to see what it was that I had not yet given to the Lord, I asked, "Jesus, tell me what it is, and I will give it to You at once with a generous heart." Jesus said to me with kindness, Daughter, give Me your misery, because it is your exclusive property.
At that moment, a ray of light illumined my soul, and I saw the whole abyss of my misery. In that same moment I nestled close to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus with so much trust that even if I had the sins of all the damned weighing on my conscience, I would not have doubted God's mercy but, with a heart crushed to dust, I would have thrown myself into the abyss of Your mercy. I believe, O Jesus, that You would not reject me, but would absolve me through the hand of Your representative. (1318)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY—
May 25 - A SPRINGTIME MESSAGE
The Madonna speaks today of nature, of love, and of surrender to God:
Dear children, I am calling you to open to God. You see, little children, how nature is opening herself and is giving life and fruit. In the same way, I am calling you to a life with God and complete surrender to him.
Little children, I am with you, and unceasingly I desire to lead you to the joy of life. I desire that each of you discover the joy and the love which is found only in God, and which only God can give.
God wants nothing else from you but your surrender. Therefore, little children, decide seriously for God because everything passes away. God alone does not.
Pray that you May discover the greatness and the joy of life which God is giving you. (Monthly Message May 25, 1989).
The author of Psalm 104 also speaks of the fruits of nature and the joy of life, so loving bestowed by the Father:
You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills, Giving drink to every wild animal;
The wild asses quench their thirst.
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your creatures.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created;
And you renew the face of the ground. ---Psalm 104:10-11;24,30
Reflection:
In this springtime message of Our Lady, she outlines a three-stage journey that she hopes we will make. We begin with "an openness to God," as she says, and so are able to receive the grace and strength we need to actually begin living as followers of Christ. Second, having experienced the power of the Lord in our lives, we are drawn to surrender ourselves more and more to him. And third, in this new relationship of trusting surrender, we gradually discover through prayer "the greatness and the joy of life which God is giving [us]."
How appropriate that the Blessed Virgin chose the springtime to speak of new life in Christ: "You see, little children, how nature is opening herself and is giving life and fruit. In the same way I am calling you to open to God, that I May lead you into the joy of life." May the song of nature inspire us to a greater openness to God, that we too May sing for joy.
Application:
Try to spend some quiet time outdoors today to experience the beauty of God in nature-part of the "joy of life" of which the Virgin speaks
Medjugorje Day By Day May 24 - GIVE TIME TO THE ROSARY
"Mary is characterized as the new holy Tent, the living ark of the Covenant.
Her Yes becomes the place of meeting that offers God a dwelling place in the world" (Pope Benedict XVI).
"Thou art blessed amongst women, O Mary, and Blessed is Jesus Eucharistic, the fruit of thy womb!" (St. Peter Julian Eymard).
Mother Teresa
If I had not picked up that first person dying on the street, I would not have picked up the thousands later on.
Padre Pio -
May 24 I confess in the first place, that for me it is a great misfortune to be unable to express and pour out this ever-active volcano which burns me up, and which Jesus has placed in this very small heart. And it can all be summed up as follows: I am consumed by love for God and love for my neighbors.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Real regret is not finding God again after one has lost Him!
"A man refrains from adultery because of the love he has for his wife. This principle of love militates against his carnal desires and, if he falls, pulls him back again to fidelity. So with grace. As St. Paul wrote to the pagan Romans: `I don't understand my own actions, because instead of doing what I want to do I do what I hate. Now if I don't want to do the very thing that I actually do, then I agree with the Law that it is, in fact, good' (Romans 7: 15-16).
That is the point. The very regret one has is an admission that the law of God is right. A child told by his parents not to stick his finger in the fire does so. But he immediately discovers that their law was worthy of all honor. There are two ways of knowing how good God is. One is never to lose Him, the other is to lose Him and find Him again."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
O my Jesus, in thanksgiving for Your many graces, I offer You my body and soul, intellect and will, and all the sentiments of my heart. Through the vows, I have given myself entirely to You; I have then nothing more that I can offer You. Jesus said to me, My daughter, you have not offered Me that which is really yours.
I probed deeply into myself and found that I love God with all the faculties of my soul and, unable to see what it was that I had not yet given to the Lord, I asked, "Jesus, tell me what it is, and I will give it to You at once with a generous heart." Jesus said to me with kindness, Daughter, give Me your misery, because it is your exclusive property.
At that moment, a ray of light illumined my soul, and I saw the whole abyss of my misery. In that same moment I nestled close to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus with so much trust that even if I had the sins of all the damned weighing on my conscience, I would not have doubted God's mercy but, with a heart crushed to dust, I would have thrown myself into the abyss of Your mercy. I believe, O Jesus, that You would not reject me, but would absolve me through the hand of Your representative. (1318)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
May 24 - GIVE TIME TO THE ROSARY
Our Lady speaks of a favorite subject today:
I urge you to ask everyone to pray the rosary, With the rosary you will overcome all the troubles which Satan is trying to inflict on the Catholic Church. Let all priests pray the rosary. Give time to the rosary (Special Message June 25, 1985).
St. Paul also speaks of prayer in his letter to the Romans:
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God (Rom 8:26-27).
Reflection:
Fr. Albert Shamon tells a unique story of the rosary, revolving around Dr. Carlos Finlay, the Cuban physician who discovered that yellow fever and malaria were carried by the mosquito. Returning home one night, exhausted after a long day's work, he remembered that he had not yet said his rosary, which was a daily devotion for him. So he began to pray, sleepy through he was, but he was distracted by a buzzing mosquito flying persistently around his head.
At that moment, as if inspired by the Virgin, the idea occurred to him that it May be the mosquito which transmits yellow fever and malaria. He began to experiment with this theory and proved that it was indeed correct ending a century of research into the cause of these dreaded diseases.
Application:
Today, simply take the advice of Our Lady to heart:
"I urge you to ask everyone to pray the rosary. Give time to the rosary".
Medjugorje Day By Day May 23 - THE HOUR OF SATAN
St. Dominic, Priest & Preacher, Founder of Dominicans (1170-1221), Feast,
Aug. 8 It was to St. Dominic that Our Lady gave the Holy Rosary which has become,
next to Mass and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the most powerful prayer in
the Church.
Mother Teresa
Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
May 23 Do that penance of remembering, with sorrow, your offenses committed against God; the penance of being constantly good, the penance of fighting against your defects.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen -
Grace is the saving factor!
"The good recover peace of soul; the evil have to be satisfied with peace of mind. The explanation of this phenomenon is that the good have another principle of action in them than the evil. The evil are guided solely by the thought either of the satisfaction of the flesh or the spirit and that this world is all.
But the good have another principle in them, entirely above nature, which is called grace, and by it they are united to God. This principle of grace is always rising up against their sin and generally triumphs over it with the slightest cooperation of the will."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
Jesus: My daughter, do you think you have written enough about My mercy? What you have written is but a drop compared to the ocean. I am Love and Mercy itself. There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy, neither will misery exhaust it, because as it is being granted-it increases. The soul that trusts in My mercy is most fortunate, because I myself take care of it. (1273)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
May 23 - THE HOUR OF SATAN
Our Lady gives us a somber message today:
The hour has come when the demon is authorized to act with all his force and power. The present hour is the hour of Satan (First Years 84-85).
As we see in scripture, evil often attacks those dearest to the Lord:
When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent [for] and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men (Mt 2:16).
Reflection:
"This is the hour of Satan," Our Lady warns us. Certainly he has held sway over the last century, which can claim two devastating world wars, the Nazi holocaust, the agonizing rise and spread of Communism, and the wars in Korea, Asia, and the Middle East, to mention only several. It has been the bloodiest century of mankind's history, despite its scientific and material progress.
The hour of Satan also speaks of his relentless attacks on the individual, including the explosion of addictive diseases, thoughtless materialism, an unprecedented crime rate, AIDS, a skyrocketing divorce rate, and an array of other tragedies.
The Blessed Mother wants us to know what we are battling, that Satan attacks the weakest link in both society and the individual, and that his ultimate goal is simply destruction. But she also gives us the weapons to fight the Evil One: conversion, faith, and prayer, the sacraments, and the rosary. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
Application:
The power of Satan has peaked. Since our chief weapon in his demise is prayer, let us add this to our daily prayer intentions, beginning today.
Medjugorje Day By Day May 22 - CONSECRATE YOURSELVES TO THE CROSS
"St. Gregory Nazianzen coined a formula which applies directly to the Word
Incarnate dwelling among us sacramentally: 'Eternal Wisdom became man in our midst in order to say to every one of us: 'Go to the Trinity!'" (Fr. Richard Foley, S.J.).
Mother Teresa -
Peace begins with a smile
Meditations by Padre Pio -
May 22 You are not unaware of the fact that I desired to die and love God; either death of love, given that life without this love is worse than death. Oh my daughter, help me! I am dying and in agony at all times. Everything seems to be a dream to me, and I don't know where I am wandering. Dear God! When will the time come can when I, too, can sing: "Is this my rest, oh God in eternity?"
Archbishop Fulton Sheen -
No wonder psychology is such a booming business!
"In the good soul, the effect of doing evil can lead to moral understanding and being repentant. In the evil soul, the effect is physical and psychological. It shows less in the soul and more in the mind and the body. The moral effect is sorrow, contrition, repentance, which leads to a restoration of fellowship with God and therefore peace.
The physical and psychological effect is anxiety, fear, worry, psychoses and neuroses. The good take to their knees when they do wrong; the evil, if they have money enough, betake themselves to a couch. The good want their sins forgiven; the evil want them explained away."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
My Jesus, support me when difficult and stormy days come, days of testing, days of ordeal, when suffering and fatigue begin to oppress my body and my soul. Sustain me, Jesus, and give me strength to bear suffering. Set a guard upon my lips that they may address no word of complaint to creatures. Your most merciful Heart is all my hope. I have nothing for my defense but only Your mercy; in it lies all my trust. (1065)
Although the temptations are strong, a whole wave of doubts beats against my soul, and discouragement stands by, ready to enter into the act, the Lord, however, strengthens my will, against which all the attempts of the enemy are shattered as if against a rock. I see how many actual graces God grants me; these support me ceaselessly. I am very weak, and I attribute everything solely to the grace of God. (1086)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY -
May 22 - CONSECRATE YOURSELVES TO THE CROSS
The Virgin speaks of the cross today:
Pray before the cross, for special graces come from it. Consecrate yourselves to the cross and do not blaspheme either Jesus or the cross. (Special Message June 29,1986).
And from Luke's gospel, Christ gives his life for us upon the cross:
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." Having said this, he breathed his last. (Lk 23 :44-46).
Reflection:
Darkness covered the whole land for three hours at midday. All nature seemed to mourn over the stark tragedy of the death of the Son of God. In the midst of this darkness, the curtain in the Temple, separating the Holy of Holies from the holy place, was torn in two, an event which symbolized the meaning of the cross.
The Temple had 3 parts: the courtyard area the holy place, where only priests could enter; and the Holy of Holies, where the high priest alone could enter once a year to atone for the sins of the people.
It was in the Holy of Holies that The Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God's presence, rested. The curtain that split was the one that closed off the Holy of Holies form view. At Christ's death, the barrier between God and man was torn apart. Now all people are able to approach God directly through Christ.
Application:
Our Lady asks us to, "Pray before the cross. Consecrate yourselves to the cross." Today, with a crucifix in your hands, make this consecration
Medjugorje Day By Day May 21 - CHANGE YOUR HEARTS
"Today I am suffering; I need beneficent balsam to heal the wounds of my soul; and Jesus in the Holy Eucharist is the precious balm poured forth upon them" (Fr. Hermann Cohen).
"To attract souls and transform them into Himself through love, Christ has revealed His own infinite love, His own Heart inflamed by love for souls, a love that impelled Him to mount the Cross, to remain with us in the Eucharist and to enter our souls and to leave us in testament His own Mother as our Mother" (St. Maximilian Kolbe).
Mother Teresa -
Good works are links that form a chain of love.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
May 21 Do your best to conform always and in everything to the will of God, in all eventualities, and do not fear. This is the sure path to heaven.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen -
We don't know how good we have it until we lose it!
"Picture two men married to two old shrews. One man was married before to a beautiful, wise, devoted wife who died. The other was never married before. Which of the two suffers more? Obviously, the man who once knew love and happiness. So it is with doing evil. He who has known the inner peace of soul that comes from union with God undergoes greater agony and torture in his sin than the one who never was ushered into such treasures. The rich who become poor suffer more than the poor who never were rich. The soul which offends God Whom he loves suffers more than the soul who willed not to have God in his life
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
Today, Jesus entered my room wearing a bright robe and girded with a golden belt, His whole figure resplendent with great majesty. He said, My daughter, why are you giving in to thoughts of fear? I answered, "O Lord, You know why." And He said, Why? "This work frightens me. You know that I am incapable of carrying it out." And He said, Why? "You see very well that I am not in good health, that I have no education, that I have no money, that I am an abyss of misery, that I fear contacts with people. Jesus, I desire only You. You can release me from this."
And the Lord said to me, My daughter, what you have said is true. You are very miserable, and it pleased Me to carry out this work of mercy precisely through you who are nothing but misery itself. Do not fear; I will not leave you alone. Do whatever you can in this matter; I will accomplish everything that is lacking in you. You know what is within your power to do; do that. The Lord looked into the depth of my being with great kindness; I thought I would die for joy under that gaze.
The Lord disappeared, and joy, strength and power to act remained in my soul. But I was surprised that the Lord did not want to release me and that He is not changing anything He has once said. And despite all these joys, there is always a shadow of sorrow. I see that love and sorrow go hand in hand. (881)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
May 21 - CHANGE YOUR HEARTS
The Mother of God speaks of conversion today:
Dear Children, today I ask you to begin working on your hearts as you have been working in the fields. Work and change your hearts so that the new Spirit of God can dwell in them (Weekly Message April 25, 1985).
Christ speaks of conversion as a "new birth" through water and the Spirit:
Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."
Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit." (Jn3:3-6).
Reflection:
What did Nicodemus know about the kingdom? From scripture he knew it would be ruled by God, it would be restored on earth, and it would incorporate God's people. Christ revealed to this devout Pharisee that the kingdom would come to the whole world, not just to the Jews, and that Nicodemus would not be a part of it unless he was personally born again. This was a revolutionary concept; the kingdom was personal, not national or ethnic, and its entrance requirements were conversion and spiritual rebirth.
Christ also taught that God's kingdom had already begun in the hearts of believers through the presence of the Holy Spirit. It will be fully realized when he returns again and abolishes evil forever.
Application:
Today Our Lady calls us to: "Work and change your hearts so that the new Spirit of God can dwell in them," Let us pray for the insight and grace to do just that.
Medjugorje Day By Day May 20 - Testify with your lives
Don't limit God - God has all the Grace we need. All we have to do is ask for them.
ASK FOR A SOUL for every WORD you say on your Rosary
AND your Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Pray and ask
Message 25. April 2010-
"Dear children! At this time, when in a special way you are praying and seeking my intercession, I call you, little children, to pray so that through your prayers I can help you to have all the more hearts be opened to my messages. Pray for my intentions. I am with you and I intercede before my Son for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Our Lady said she needs us, Needs our prayers.
Mirjana's Annual March 18, 2010 Message
"Dear children! Today I call you to love with all your heart and with all your soul. Pray for the gift of love, because when the soul loves it calls my Son to itself. My Son does not refuse those who call Him and who desire to live according to Him. Pray for those who do not comprehend love, who do not understand what it means to love. Pray that God may be their Father and not their Judge. My children, you be my apostles, be my river of love. I need you. Thank you."
"Since its founding by Jesus Christ two thousand years ago, the Universal Church's preeminent concern has been the salvation of souls. In that long span of twenty centuries, an uninterrupted stream of immeasurable graces have flowed from its Sacraments and sacramentals. The lions share of these graces can be attributed to the 'Two Solid Columns,' the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Rosary" (The Eucharist and The Rosary: The Power to Change the World).
Mother Teresa -
The poor are Christ Himself.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
Jesus who reigned in heaven with His most holy humanity received from the womb of the Virgin, wanted his mother to be reunited to Him not only with her soul but also with her body and share fully in His glory. And that was right and the just. That body that was not as slave of the devil and sin for one instant was not to be as slave of corruption either.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen-
We can contradict contradictions by clinging to our crosses. -
"Crosses and contradictions are a part of life. We are to expect them from others simply because they are often as unregenerate as ourselves. Contradictions from others will hurt us less when we have first contradicted ourselves. The hand that is calloused will not pain as much as a soft hand, on catching a hard ball. Contradictions can even be assimilated and used for further taming our own errant impulses."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
Today during Holy Mass, I was unwittingly absorbed in the infinite majesty of God. The whole immensity of God's love flooded my soul. At that particular moment, I became aware of how much God abases himself for my sake. He, the Lord of Lords-and what am I, miserable being that I am, that You would commune thus with me? The wonder that took hold of me after this special grace continued very vividly throughout the entire day.
Taking advantage of the intimacy to which the Lord was admitting me, I interceded before Him for the whole world. At such moments I have the feeling that the whole world is depending on me. (870)
My Master, cause my heart never to expect help from anyone, but I will always strive to bring assistance, consolation, and all manner of relief to others. My heart is always open to the sufferings of others; and I will not close my heart to the sufferings of others, even though because of this I have been scornfully nicknamed "dump"; that is, [because] everyone dumps his pain into my heart.
[To this] I answered that everyone has a place in my heart and I, in return, have a place in the Heart of Jesus. Taunts regarding the law of love will not narrow my heart. My soul is always sensitive on this point, and Jesus alone is the motive for my love of neighbor. (871)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY-
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
May 20 - TESTIFY WITH YOUR LIVES
In May of 1991, Our Lady called us to live her messages as an example to others:
Dear children, to those who have heard my message of peace, I ask that you take it seriously and live it lovingly in your life. There are many who think they are doing a lot by simply talking about the messages, but are not actually living them. Dear children, I invite you to life, to change all the negativism in you to the positive.
Dear children, I am with you and I want to help each of you to live so as to testify with your lives to the Good News. I am here, dear children, to help you and to lead you to heaven; the joy of heaven can be lived even now on earth. (Monthly Message May 25, 1991).
Paul urges us as well to be examples of the Christian faith:
Show yourself in all respects a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, and sound speech that cannot be censured; then any opponent will be put to shame, having nothing evil to day of us (Ti 2:7-8).
Reflection:
Our readings today reflect an ancient truth of Christianity-that it is normally by example, not words, that the faith spreads. In this vein, the 19th Century English novelist Charles Kingsley once wrote:
One good man - one man who does not put on his religion once a week with his Sunday suit, but wears it for his working dress, and lets the thought of God grow into him, and through and through him, till everything he says and does becomes religious-that man is worth a thousand sermons. He is a living gospel-he is the Image of God.
Application:
In her message today, the Madonna states that, "I want to help each of you to live so as to testify with your lives to the Good News." Ask Our Lady's help today in doing just that.
Medjugorje Day By Day May 19 - PUT GOD FIRST IN YOUR FAMILIES
"The Eucharist came from the Paradise of Virginity [Our Lady]" (St. Albert the Great).
Mother Teresa
Today it is fashionable to talk about the poor. Unfortunately it is not fashionable to talk with them.
Meditations by Padre Pio -
After Jesus Christ's ascension to heaven, Mary longed continually with burning desire to be reunited with Him. To be without her divine Son was a very harsh exile. Those years of separation from Him were for her a most slow and painful martyrdom of love that consumed her slowly.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen
We can't be perfect all the time!
"The good sometimes do wrong. Let us face it. And when they do wrong it is not the same as the evil who do wrong. Evil is an exception in the life of the good; it cuts across the long road of their life as a tangent. But with the evil, good is an exception. A master pianist may hit a wrong note, but everyone still knows him to be a good pianist. A beginner may hit a right note, but everyone knows that he is not a good player."
St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
I am reliving these moments with Our Lady. With great longing, I am waiting for the Lord's coming. Great are my desires. I desire that all humankind come to know the Lord. I would like to prepare all nations for the coming of the Word Incarnate. O Jesus, make the fount of Your mercy gush forth more abundantly, for humankind is seriously ill and thus has more need than ever of Your compassion. You are a bottomless sea of mercy for us sinners; and the greater the misery, the more right we have to Your mercy. You are a fount which makes all creatures happy by Your infinite mercy. (793)
O inexhaustible spring of Divine Mercy, pour yourself out upon us! Your Goodness knows no limits. Confirm, O Lord, the power of Your mercy over the abyss of my misery, for You have no limit to Your mercies. Wonderful and matchless is Your mercy, astonishing the human and angelic mind. (819)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.
May 19 - PUT GOD FIRST IN YOUR FAMILIES
In December of 1991, the Blessed Mother spoke of love and the family:
Dear children, today in a special way I bring the infant Jesus to you, that he May bless you with peace and love. Dear children, do not forget that this is a grace which many people do not understand or accept.
Therefore, all of you who have said that you are mine and seek my help, give your entire self. First, be an example in your own families and give them your love. Since you say that Christmas is a family feast, then, dear children, put God first in your families; then he can give you peace and protect you not only from war, but also from Satan's attacks during peacetime.
When God is with you, you have everything. But when you do not want him, you are miserable and lost, for you do not know whose side you are on. And so, dear children, decide for God and then you will have everything. (Monthly Message December 25, 1991).
In Matthew's gospel, Jesus also spoke of the family.
Specifically, of marital fidelity and oneness:
He answered, "Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning `made them male and female,' and said, `For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?' So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" (Mt 19:4-6)
Reflection:
"Success in marriage," wrote B.R. Brickner, "is more than finding the right person: it is a matter of being the right person."
The sacrament of marriage received special treatment from the fathers of Vatican II; some of the thoughts expressed were quite beautiful, including the following:
Authentic married love is caught up into divine love, and is governed and enriched by Christ's redeeming love.
Such love, merging the human with the divine, leads the spouses to a free and mutual gift of themselves, a gift proving itself by gentle affection and by deed. Such love pervades the whole of their lives. Indeed, by its generous activity, it grows better and grows better and grows greater.
Sealed by mutual faithfulness and hallowed above all by Christ's sacrament, this love remains steadfastly true in body and in mind, in bright days or dark. (The Church Today, 48-49).Application:
Today, pray especially for married couples and, if you are married, for your spouse. This evening, offer a prayer together for God's continued blessings on your family.
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